Latest Space Shuttle Columbia Stories

By Jeff Franks HOUSTON (Reuters) - Spacewalking astronaut Steve Robinson
plucked a couple of loose fiber strips from Discovery's belly
on Wednesday in an unprecedented repair to the shuttle's heat
shield. "I'm grasping it and I'm pulling it and it's coming out
very easily. Beautiful.

By Jeff Franks HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two Discovery astronauts floated
outside the shuttle on Wednesday for the start of a seven-hour
spacewalk that will include an unprecedented repair job on the
shuttle's troublesome heat shield.

Discovery's astronauts had misgivings about the risky spacewalk mission to the shuttle's fragile belly but agreed to try the repair because it seemed relatively easy to do, crewmembers said on Tuesday. The protruding strips are small -- only an inch (2.5 cm) long -- but NASA fears they could affect aerodynamics.

By Jeff Franks HOUSTON (Reuters) - The Discovery crew on Tuesday worked
out plans for an impromptu repair job that will send
spacewalking astronaut Steve Robinson underneath the shuttle to
work on its fragile belly for the first time in space history.

By Irene Klotz HOUSTON (Reuters) - Determined not to lose another space
shuttle and crew, NASA on Monday decided to send one of
Discovery's astronauts on a risky spacewalk to the ship's
fragile underside to smooth protruding fibers in the heat
shield.

NASA announced Monday that an astronaut will perform a spacewalk to fix two worrisome pieces of filler material protruding from Discovery's belly - a high-stakes operation to repair a problem that could threaten the shuttle during re-entry. NASA decided to conduct the spacewalk Wednesday to "set our minds at rest."

By Jeff Franks HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two spacewalking astronauts, one of
them perched on a 50-foot robot arm, worked to replace a failed
gyroscope on the International Space Station on Monday, while
NASA pondered whether shuttle Discovery's heat shield needs an
unprecedented repair.

Two spacewalking astronauts, one of them perched on a 50-foot robot arm, worked to replace a failed gyroscope on the International Space Station on Monday, while NASA pondered whether shuttle Discovery's heat shield needs an unprecedented repair. Japan's Soichi Noguchi wrestled to pull the 660-pound gyroscope from the station.

By Jeff Franks HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two astronauts ventured outside the
shuttle Discovery on Monday to replace a failed gyroscope on
the International Space Station in the second of three planned
spacewalks as NASA pondered whether to add a fourth to fix the
shuttle's heat shield.

By Jeff Franks HOUSTON (Reuters) - Two shuttle astronauts were set to
replace a failed gyroscope on the International Space Station
on Monday in the second of three planned spacewalks as NASA
pondered whether to add a fourth to repair loose material on
Discovery's heat shield.

Tamara Jernigan is an American scientist and former NASA astronaut. She was born Tamara Elizabeth "Tammy" Jernigan on May 7, 1959 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She attended Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe Springs, CA and graduated in 1977. She then went on to attend Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1981 and a Master of Science degree in engineering science in 1983. While at Stanford, she was a member of the varsity volleyball team. Following her...

John Grunsfeld is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut. He was born John Mace Grunsfeld in October of 1958 in Chicago, Illinois. He remained in Illinois throughout his childhood and graduated from Highland Park High School in 1976. Upon his graduation, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics in 1980. He then furthered his education at the University of Chicago, where he earned a Master of Science in physics in...

Joe Engle is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and a former NASA astronaut. He was born Joe Henry Engle on August 26, 1932 in Chapman, Kansas. He attended the University of Kansas, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1955. There he also received his commission in the Air Force through the Reserve Officers Training Program. In 1957, Engle entered flying school and flew the F-100 Super Sabre with the 474th Fighter Day Squadron and the 309th Tactical...

Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center on November 28, 1983 at 11:00 AM (EST) and landed at Edwards Air Force Base on December 8, 1983 at 3:47 AM (PST). The shuttle orbited 167 times at an inclination of 57 degrees and travelled 4.3 million miles. The mission lasted 10 days, 7 hours, 47 minutes, and 24 seconds.
This mission was the first time 6 people were carried into space on one shuttle, and it carried the first Spacelab mission and the first European crew member, Ulf Merbold of...

Robert Crippen is an engineer, a retired United States Navy Captain, and a former NASA astronaut. He was born Robert Laurel Crippen on September 11, 1937 in Beaumont, Texas. He was raised in Texas and graduated from New Caney High School, and then went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering in 1960.
Crippen was commissioned through the United States Navy's Aviation Officer Candidate School Program, and became...

A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.